Centre Director’s welcome to Newsletter - Issue 1, 2015

In this issue we highlight recent achievements, including the Centre’s key areas of research activity, a new research collaboration and our members’ active engagement with industry.

From facilitating industry workshops at the 20th Joint Technical Meeting on Pipeline Research in Paris, to speaking appointments at the Inaugural Workplace Wellness Conference in Sydney, our members are shaping the conversation to drive best practice in construction, health and safety.

Current projects of the Centre turn a spotlight on industry challenges and identify how they might be addressed. Some of our recent projects investigate the role of stakeholder engagement in OSH decision-making, multidisciplinary approaches to risk management, and strategies to improve the health of non-managerial construction workers.  

Seizing an opportunity to develop research collaborations, the Centre entered into a partnership with the Energy Pipelines Cooperative Research Centre (EPCRC) in January 2015. Associate Professor Jan Hayes and Dr Vanessa McDermott, who have joined the Centre as part of this partnership, bring highly valued expertise in organisational safety, risk, and disaster prevention within an oil and gas industry context.

In 2015, the Centre will also host several high-profile academics and industry experts in construction, engineering and safety. International visitors include Professor Matthew Hallowell (University of Colorado, Boulder), Judith Hackitt (Chair, UK HSE) and Air Chief Marshal Sir Angus Houston. Visitors will share their knowledge with the Centre and industry through research collaboration and public lectures.

Our Centre members are prolific contributors to knowledge advancement in construction and occupational health and safety. We encourage you to view their latest publications, which include industry reports, journal articles, a book publication and conference papers.

We hope you enjoy this issue.